Spiritual Warfare
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior? Have you repented of your sins and made a commitment to walk a new way of life? If you have answered ‘yes’ to these two questions, then you are in the middle of the greatest battle taking place on earth right now. This battle is a spiritual battle, and you are under attack. You are under attack because when you become a Christian, Satan and his demonic forces, place you at the top of their hit list. I Peter 5:8 states “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Let’s analyze two main aspects of this spiritual war that we are in. First, we need to identify how it is that Satan attacks us, and second what we can do to neutralize his attacks.
In order for us to understand how Satan attacks, we must first understand his character (or lack thereof), and well as his mindset. Several Bible passages give indications of what makes him tick: He is covetous and wants God’s position, “For you have said in your heart: ‘ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; ……I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14) he is a murder, a liar, and incapable of telling the truth, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44), he has the ability to masquerade as a messenger from God, “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (I Corinthians 11:14.) He is also a being that is literally insane. Anyone who thinks that they can supplant God has to be.
When you analyze these components of Satan’s character, you realize that rules are off limits to him. If he were a boxer, he would hit you below the belt. He will do anything he can to take you away from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Satan has almost unlimited avenues of how he can attack us. All of them are centered in falsehood. Let’s examine a few of them.
The Lie.
Genesis 3:1 states: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
This serpent in this passage of scripture tells several lies, but the one that is the most devious is in verse 5. Satan tells Adam and Eve that they can be like, or be equal to God. In other words, they have no need for God and that they are the only authority that they need in their lives. This attitude has all but permeated our society today. It is known as secular humanism. Secular humanism is defined as “An outlook or philosophy that advocates human rather than religious values.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. A person that holds this philosophy really has no basis of how to live their lives. If we only advocate human values, then the only determining factor of those values, are those which each individual holds. It then becomes an “I’m O.K., you’re O.K.” mindset. The Christian faith has defined laws and guidelines to follow. These laws help to maintain a decent and civil society. Secular humanism, or “the lie”, only leads to the eventual death and destruction of the society that adheres to its beliefs.
Music and Entertainment.
Western civilization and much of the rest of the world, have become enamored with entertainment, to the point that the average American spends between 5-6 hours a day on watching TV, movies, internet, and listening to music. Entertainment in itself is not a bad thing, and even if all of our entertainment was wholesome and virtuous, to immerse ourselves in any form of escapism is not healthy. The problem with our entertainment is that it has become so perverse. The following excerpt from Steve Bonta in the magazine The New American sums it up best:
“Little wonder that, after decades of having pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality, pro-sexual promiscuity, and anti-religion messages, among others, dinned into them on prime-time TV, in movies, and in popular music, Americans have largely acquiesced, and in many cases openly embraced, conduct and beliefs that were taboo a couple of generations ago”
The New American Vol19, No. 3 Feb 10th, 2003
To try and find entertainment that is Godly or uplifting, is quite a challenge. So when you combine our addiction to entertainment, with its increasing moral depravity, you begin to see what a powerful indoctrination tool that Satan has at his disposal.
Direct Spiritual Attacks
Hollywood portrays demonic activity in an unbiblical manner. They are often shown to have limitless power and are on an equal footing with God. However based on personal experience and what is written in the Bible, I believe there are three main ways which we are directly attacked by the demonic world.
1) Influenced
This appears to be the most common attack. It is something that everyone experiences at one time or another. Have you ever had a thought pop into your head and wonder, “where did that come from”? Satan does have the ability to influence our minds, if we have our guards down. There are several examples of this in the Bible. (Acts 5:3, I Chronicles 21:1, John 13:2)
His influence may actually manifest itself in a more physical form as well. I have talked to several people who have woken up in the middle of the night with an “evil presence” that was on their chest making it hard for them to breathe. I have also personally had the feeling of an evil spirit being in a room and could almost “see” it.
2) Demonized
This idea is almost an intermediary step between being influenced and possessed. It is where people hear voices and begin to do things without knowing why. They still are somewhat in control of their lives, but they tend to be in a constant state of confusion, worry, and doubt. Several Christian psychologists believe that most mental illnesses fall into this category. Two excellent books that deal with this topic are: The Bondage Breaker and Victory over Darkness by Neil T. Anderson.
3) Possession
This attack apparently gives its victim very little control over what they do. It is almost like they become a puppet to a master. Several examples in the Bible are found in: Matthew 9:32-33; 12:22; 17:18; Mark 5:1-20; 7:26-30; Luke 4:33-36; Luke 22:3; Acts 16:16-18
Overcoming Satan
Satan can be a formidable foe for us. He is a being on a different plane of existence, and is capable of doing things that we cannot imagine. How then can we defeat him? Here are several things that will help:
1) Have the correct means to fight him
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God Ephesians 6:11-17
This passage of scripture is almost always quoted when discussing spiritual warfare, but let’s make sure we do not diminish its significance! It is God and his strength alone that will help us to defeat Satan. We are instructed to use aspects of our Christian walk, in the same manner that a soldier would use armaments to protect himself in a war. Just as we wouldn’t expect to walk out and fight a Sherman tank in our pajamas, we cannot expect to fight Satan and his minions without effective prayer, Bible study, and fasting. Remember that we would not need this armor if it wasn’t possible for Satan to attack and injure us.
2) Know the tactics of the enemy
Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. In other words, we should understand how our enemy works, but not be partakers in his behavior. We need to remember that Satan is a deceiver, a murderer, speaks half-truths, and does not follow rules. His pursuit of us will never end, so we need to be on guard and understand how and where his attacks come from.
3) Be careful of your surroundings
I can recall reading a story of a preacher in the 1800’s. He went to New Orleans to help convert the drunks and the prostitutes. He decided to live on Bourbon St. to be right in the middle of all the action. Within several months, his behavior had become just like those all around him. It is important for us to realize that we cannot stay immersed in a sinful environment. If your job, school, or even church is a place that is like that, you may want to consider going elsewhere. As Christians we should want to help those who are lost and living in sin, but we need to be careful that it does not overcome us. Since we are constantly under attack by the tempter, we should not put ourselves in a constant state of attack and temptation.
Much like ancient Israel, we as Christians need to learn to rely upon the strength of God’s hand. Of our own power we can do nothing to stop the onslaught of evil that is at our door everyday. Satan and his demons hold sway over much of humanity. It is possible for us to fall under that sway as well. We need to put God as our first and only line of defense. He will fight these spiritual battles for us. If we encounter an evil spirit, or a person possessed, we can command the evil spirit to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. If we are having personal encounters or are being influenced, we can pray for God to fight the battle. This war that we are involved will not stop until Jesus Christ returns. Let us remember that we have nothing to fear if we put God first and make him our defense. It is in him and him alone that we will be victorious in this spiritual fight.
